BECOME A BRAZOS BEND STATE PARK VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS – AGE 14 AND OVER

Application required (Application Form). We are accepting applications for the February 2010 training class which will take place on Saturdays February12, 19 & 26 2011. Applicants will be notified of acceptance after review of application and interview. The new application deadline will be November 30, 2010. (We may not grant an interview to every applicant.)  Applicants will be subject to criminal history check.

REQUIRED TRAINING:  No more than fifteen candidates will be chosen. If you are not chosen for a particular session, your application may be held for priority consideration in the next training selection. You will be notified if this occurs. If you are chosen for training, you must be prepared to attend all training sessions and be open for training scheduling for the following six months. You will not become a volunteer unless all requirements are met.

Orientation:

• Saturday, February12, 2011
• Introductions, release and waiver, information packets, nametags, who we are and what we do, Q & A, tour of Visitor Center and park, contact information, and introduction to State Parks and the role of volunteers.

Classroom Training:

• Saturday February 19 & 26, 2011     
• Classromm training.

(All three dates are required)

Phase I Training:

Trainees are given a form with 20 hours of required areas of training. Completed areas are to be signed off by park staff or by volunteer assisting trainee.   Forms include mandatory areas or training: (Those under age 14 may have slightly different requirements.)

• Nature Center Operation (8 hours)
• Gift Shop Operation (8 hours)
• Maintenance: Trail trimming class (2 hours), firewood preparation (1 hour), water station (1shift)
  (Physical restrictions are taken into consideration and substitutions can be made.)

Trainees have a maximum of 2 months to complete these 20 hours of training or training is terminated.

Phase II Training:

Once the first form is completed and turned in, trainees will now be required to work a minimum of 4 hours per month for 4 consecutive months and complete 14 required activities (approximately 20 total hours).  Trainee may finish sooner than the deadline.  Training will include area(s) of interest in addition to specific requirements as follows:

• Work the Gift Shop (2hours)
• Work the Nature Center Information Desk (2 hours)
• Attend two alligator video programs (2 hours)
• Present one alligator video program (1 hour)
• Attend one snake program  (1 hour)
• Attend two Creekfield Hikes (approximately 2 hours hike)
• Lead one Creekfield Hike (2 hours)
• Roving / Trail Interpretation with a trained volunteer (2 hours)
• Roving / Trail Interpretation on your own (1 hour)
• Attend one bird hike (1.5 hours)
• ATV trail tour with trained volunteer (2 hours)
• Attend one business meeting of the Volunteer Organization (Second Saturday, 5:30 PM.)

Upon completion of Phase II, trainee becomes a member of the organization. Members are required to work a minimum total of 48 service hours per calendar year. (Drive time and monthly meeting time does not count as service hours, but are recorded in the total hours credit.) Twenty-four (24) of the forty-eight (48) required hours must consist of a total of six (6) hours per quarter in any of these required areas:

• Nature Center Information Desk (two-hour shift)
• Gift Shop (two-hour shift)
• Creekfield Hike leader (two hour credit)
• Water Station Duty (two hours per shift) (April through October)
• Firewood processing and/or bundling (time spent)